Ohh, Monaco.

For 56 years, we've been running up the hill towards Casino Square and gently snaking through Mirabeau, the Grand Hotel hairpin and Portier, wind in our helmet, before blasting through the tunnel and toward those spectacular harbour views. It just gets us right in the feels.

We visit some spectacular circuits throughout the season, but nothing beats the prestige and atmosphere of the Monaco Grand Prix. It's both the ultimate challenge of a racing driver and the boujeeist party of the year – the event everyone wants to be at.

You're our digital plus one for the weekend, and we've grabbed you a party bag full of goodies, with all of the key info and some words of wisdom from Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo and our Team Principal Andreas Seidl. We've also thrown in some key stats, a checklist of what to watch for and the dress code.

Key info

Round	7
Where	Circuit de Monaco
When	27 - 29 May
Follow	TEAMStream and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio

What they say

"I always look forward to the Monaco weekend. It will be nice to be racing so close to home, particularly as I can wake up in my own bed! Last year it was a fantastic race for me and whilst we're not back at that level just yet, I'm hoping we can pick up some good points here. Qualifying on Saturday is going to be key but it will be interesting to see how the race plays out on Sunday with these new cars.

"I'm taking these few days to rest up and to focus on getting better before diving into Monaco. Spain was incredibly tough, but I was very pleased to get some points for the team. Let's keep moving forward and ensure we're ready for the busy weekend ahead!"

"I'm bouncing back from a difficult race and looking forward to getting stuck into the Monaco weekend. I have a lot of history with this race so I'm hoping to make a mark in the MCL36 this year and score some points for the team. The atmosphere around Monaco is always exciting so it will be great to soak it all up. I'm also really looking forward to the short commute to track from my home!

"Off the back of Spain, I've got my head in the data with the engineers to make sure we're in the best position possible to fight for a top 10 finish. We learnt a lot about the car, particularly with the good upgrades, and I have great trust in the team for us to keep improving. Hopefully we can put together a solid weekend and fight for a top 10 finish. Let's keep pushing!"

"I'm looking forward to this weekend! Monaco is such a historic race and one the drivers and the team love so it's shaping up to be a good weekend. Our upgrades worked as expected in Spain and the team at track and back at the factory continue to work incredibly hard to optimize the car. It will be interesting to see how the new regulation cars run on the tight streets. The circuit really puts the drivers to the test with very little margin of error so the likelihood of safety cars is a lot higher, meaning there are lots of different strategy options we can look at for qualifying and the race. Let's get out there and give everything we've got!"

What the stats say

What images do you conjure up when you think of Monaco? Glitz, glamour, and motorsport, right? How about when you think of motorsport in Monaco? If you're here, hopefully, McLaren? But almost certainly, Ayrton Senna, driving for McLaren.

With six victories – five in a McLaren - the legendary Brazilian racer has more race wins in Monte Carlo than any other driver in history. Senna's impeccable standards helped make McLaren the most decorated team at the event, with 15 wins, and set the benchmark for those who followed.

And they've carried on that baton fruitfully: Mika Häkkinen, David Coulthard, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have since won a further six between them, after Alain Prost had gotten the ball rolling before Senna with four wins between 1984 and 1988.

And what of late? The track holds a special place in the papaya-coloured heart of any McLaren fan, and it's no different for Daniel or Lando, who have their own love affair with the street track.

The circuit was home to Daniel's second-most famous win (his first being last year in Italy, of course), finishing first with Red bull in 2018. He's also got a further three podium trophies from the historic grand prix in his cabinet.

Lando’s relationship naturally doesn't date back quite as far as Daniel's, but he did manage a Formula 2 podium there in 2018. Ohh, and there was the small matter of his thrilling, against the odds podium in Monaco last year, all while decked out in iconic Gulf colours.

Session times

Free Practice 1	14:00 local / 13:00 BST / 08:00 EDT
Free Practice 2	17:00 local / 16:00 BST / 11:00 EDT
Free Practice 3	13:00 local / 12:00 BST / 07:00 EDT
Qualifying	16:00 local / 15:00 BST / 10:00 EDT
Race	15:00 local / 14:00 BST / 09:00 EDT

What to watch out for

Everything? Monaco is one of those races where you can't afford to have your eyes purely on the track. Considering it's the second-smallest country in the world, they sure fit a lot in.

Set in the heart of Monte Carlo, there's as much going on off the track as there is on it, with lavish parties and celeb appearances adding to the already luxurious atmosphere. There's a certain grandeur about Monaco that just cannot be beaten.

In terms of racing action: on-boards. Watching Lando and Daniel navigate the Circuit de Monaco from the cockpit is intoxicating. Without somehow piggybacking one of them during Qualifying, this is the closest we'll ever come to truly understanding the commitment and confidence required to succeed at this circuit, one wrong move and you're trudging back to your garage, car in the wall, rehearsing your apology.

Those who balance that fine line between pushing the limits and keeping it out of the wall during Qualifying will reap the greatest rewards. Overtaking around the tight and winding streets of Monte Carlo is high-risk, because there's such little room between the barriers to get the move done, so it's easy to make a mistake and hard to make a move stick. That's why a good starting position is critical – 12 of the last 20 pole sitters have gone on to take victory.

Apart from that, it's about being brave and calculated. Knowing your limits and being in a position to pounce on anyone who exceeds theirs is often where the most significant gains are made in the races here.

What to wear

A decadent race requires a decadent look, but we're not a fan of black tie, so we've opted to combine our timeless McLaren look with a more Monaco-esque colour palate, adding a splash of gold.

We've gone retro in style, with some vintage looking caps from New Era and a plush pair of shades from SunGod, featuring a matte black frame and gold-tinted lenses. Our matching range of T-shirts, hoodies and polos are all of a similar chic, coming in papaya, black, white and dusty blue. Check out the collection on the McLaren Store.

Plus one

It just wouldn't be Monaco without a hearty dose of McLaren competitions. It's the biggest and best weekend of the year with the Monaco Grand Prix and Indy 500 taking place on one mega day of motorsport and to celebrate it, we've had Lando, Daniel, Pato, Felix and Juan Pablo sign a selection of special one-off posters before they head off to Monaco and Indianapolis.

And for one very lucky winner, we'll be giving away a bunch of our favourite F1 and IndyCar merch, but you've got to be in it to win it, so make sure that you enter here.

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